Direction indicator



Sept. 6,1927. A 1,641,774 R. H. MoRRls K v DIRECTION INDICATOR -Filed April 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToR.

TToRNEYs.

fsm 6 'nl cTIoN INDICATOR v IFiled April 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED- sra TESS ROYl n.y Mouais, on 'ofiiriiai'izii',,V cani-Fortuin.

`inrzenofrioiv innrca'roit.. s

Application led Apri1'29,

ThisV invention relates to' an direction indicator for use on automobiles and likevehicles.. The object of thev present invention is to generally improve andf simplify the con- 5 struction and operation ot'l devices of the character described', and particularly to provide an actuatingmechani'sm adapted to be placed within a car' in convenient reach of the driver whereby a direction indicator in the vform of an arm or arrow, mounted on A Athe exterior of the car where it' caribe easily seen both by'pedestria-iis and drivers of 'other vehicles, may be readily 'operated'. by the driver, andturther, to provide' a /device'ot this make which isy adaptedv torlclosed cars, delivery trucks and the' like and `which may lbe readily installed therein. y y

Several forms which the invention jmay assume yare disclosed in' the accompanying description andy drawings, in which y Fig. 1. is a perspective view showing an' automobile in det-ted lines and' showing the direction indicator and actuatingmech'anism applied thereto.

Fig. v2 is a side elevation lof the actuating mechanism. l i

Fig. 3' is a plan View of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isY a detail side elevation. of lthe chain conduit.

Yindicator casing which supports the direction. indicator arm or arrow.- s

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section talrenf on line vi-vi iig, 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View `of the inner; p v

' the casingmay thus' be bolted to the top endV ot the direction indicating arm.

Fig. 8. isa perspective view et the direcvtion indicating, arm, its supporting bracket,V

v and also showing a modifiedform of actu- 40 ating. mechanism..

Fig; 9 is a side elevationof. the inner end of( the direct-ion indicating arm. andI itsf supporting bracket, such' view showingthe malng ner of Vattachingk the chain..

v Figure 10v is aperspective view ofanauto-M mobile door showing. the` application of the actuating. mechanism illustrated'. in Fig.. 8;.

Figure 11v *isf a sectionalfview ot the. actuwating lever.' and pawl shown. inl Figure 8:.

"Figure l2' is across sectionntaken on'y line 'XII-XII, Fig. 11'.. l

, Referring tothe particularly toy Figures 1,2, 5Vr andp, A: in-

dicates in general-anautomobilelot'the closed 55. type,..B the top and C. the instrumentboard interior offthecar. l L

Fig. 5 is ay side elevation of the direfsti'onk drawings in. ,detail and,

192e vserial No. 1053364.'

The ydirection -indicatorI forming the subject matter *of thepres'ent" application con-` r sists ot two connected units. to-wit7 af manually operated actuating mechanism generally indicated at D,-and1 the indicator proper. in-

dicated atE. The actuating mechanism. is

mounted interior of the car, preferably on* the,l instrument] board within convenient -reach' oi" the driver, while the indicating mechanism ismounted exterior o'tft'he car,

'and is'Lin' most instances, attached tol thesi'de otthetopatthe front end vther-ect, and some-1 `times also yat lthe rear end thereot'as shown in/Fig. 1.v The indicator consists vof al pivotally mountedjarrow 2 which is operated in accordance with the standard arm signalling greev angular position abovevhorizontal `when turning to the right and a forty-five def system lnow 'in commonuse. That-is, it asl* sumes a horizontal position when'`r the driver desiresfvtofturii'to the left, a forty-tive degree angular'positiony below horizontal when it is desiredto slowdown or -stop vanda vertical downward position when not in operation'. 1 y f' The indicator'arm or arrowv 2 terminates ina fhub-ni'einber''see, Figs. 5 and 6, on the Vinner `.tace of whichr is mounted adrum 4.

Acasing'isprovided lorthe support there# ot, it consists ot a flatplate 5 as shown in andv 6l having' an annular exterior flange formed thereon as shown at 6 to receiveV the hubv` and ldrum portion of' the indicating farrow. The `'plate 5 is provided with" holesfor the reception ot'screws 7 'and proper or-to any convenient part oit the automobile. 'The indicating arrow is secured to v the casing by a, bolt 8 whichextends through the hub andthe drum aiid'is secured in the plate 5. [The bolt also serves as a. pivotfor the arm and the drumand the army will` assume different positions when in operation as rwill hereinafter be described. Journalled at one vend ot k the plate on al pin r 9;- is'a roller` 10;' This roller is concealed as it is partially enclosed by an extension l1 ofthe plate 5. chain' IQIpasses" over the roller Y l() andispartially wrapped around the drum and is secured thereto. The opposite endv -ojt the chain'passes throughthebody ot the closed car and is carried` through a' conduit suchas shown at 13 to the operating mechanism D' which -will be more fully described.

A specialf form of chain" or kcable conduit p -description thereof is accordingly thought unnecessary. Y

The operating mechanism is best illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. It consists of a baseV plate 16 which is adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured as indicated at 17 to the instrument board C of the automobile.

' Mounted on the base plate or formed intef handle 22 and a gral therewith are two Ainterspaced side plates 18. Pivotally mounted on the bolt .19 between the side platesv is an operating lever 20. One end of the lever is provided with a crank arm 21 to which the chain 12 is attached as shown in Fig. 2 while the other end of the lever is provided with a awl 23 which rides over a ratchet bar 24 disposed between the plates 18. The ratchet bar is provided with four teeth such as indicated at 25, 26, 27 and 28. The pawl 23 is provided with a pin 26a which is adapted to engage the notches or teeth just referred to and the pawl is furthermore provided with a handle extension 23a which acts as a weight to normally hold the pawl pin in engagement with the teeth, the pawl being, of course, pivotally attached to the lever as shown at 29. In actual operation when the automobile is in motion and it is desired to turn a corner, for instance, to the left, the driver merely reaches forward and rasps the handle 22 of the operating lever.

y lifting it in an upward direction until the pawl pin engages with the tooth 27 a pull is transmitted to the chain 12 through the crank arm 21 and as the opposite end of the chain is wrapped about the drum 4 `and attached thereto it will rotate the drum and the hub member 3 until the arrow 2 assumes a horizontal position such as shown in Fig. 1. The horizontal position of the arrow indicates to pedestrians or drivers i of other vehicles that a lefthand turn is to be made. The driver releases the operating handle 22 at this point as it is automaticallyA ward position which is its normal inopera- If en-fgagement of the pawl pin is made with thefagainst. removal, see Figs. 11 and 12. The ytooth 26 arrow 2 will assume a fort -ivepawl locks the lever in an oney ofthe osidegree angular position below, horizidntal y p and if engagement is made with the notch 25 the arrow will assume a vertical downthe driver. This is accomplished bydneif tive position. The diderent standard hand signals are thus given and without any inconvenience to the driver and the indicating arrow will assume its signalling` position until it is released by the driver. The usual inconvenience of opening up the window and projecting the hand and arm to give a signal is thus avoided which will surely be appreciated by the average driver, particularly when driving in wet and cold weather when it is desired to keep the window closed.

In Fig. 2 it will be noted that two chains are attached to the crank arm 21. only necessary where an indicating arrow is placed on the front and the rear of a closed car as shown in Fig. 1. If a single indicating arrowis employed only one chain and conduit 13 will be required.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 another form of the mechanism is disclosed. It is particularly designed for attachment to the doorV frame of a closed car. A bracket 30 is provided on the exterior of the door indicated at 31,

This is site end passes through a pipe 32 which eX-` tends throughthe framer of the door. The opposite end of the pipe is .connected with a housing 33 which is bolted to the inner face of the door frame. Pivotally mounted on a bolt 34 extending through the housing is a lever 35. This lever is offset as indicated at 36, see Figs. 8 and 11, and the lower end is drilled out to receive a tubular downwardly extending lever 37. The upper end of the lever is slotted as at 38 and carries a pivoted pawl 39 and a hook 40 to which the chain 12 is attached. A guide pulley 41 is mounted'on the inner surface of the casing and this forms a guide to direct the chain into the tube 32. The pawl 39 mounted on the operating lever 35 engages stationary teeth 42 in the lower part of the casing as shown in Fig. 8, thus makingit possible. to lock the operating lever and the 'directing arrow in any position desired, the operating lever and arrow being released byy raisalso passes through a part of pin 34 and the tube 37 vthereby locking these members tain the indicating arrow in any position to which it may be set until it is released by tending the rod 43 through the operating handle 37. The lower end of the rod is provided with a push button or handle 51 and the upper end is adapted to engage the latch and raise the same away from the teeth 42 when it is desired to return the mechanism to normal position or any other position. The pivot pin 34 carrying the actuating lever 35 has one end extended through the casing and a small indicating arrow for the convenience of the operator is secured on the extended end of the pin. This arrow is shown at 63 in Fig. l0. Vhen the indicating mechanism assumes inoperative position the arrow 63 indicates that position. lVhen stop position is reached. letter S indicates stop position and similar marks are provided for left-and right turns by providing the letters L and R. In otherwords, the driver sitting inside of the car will always know the exactposition assumed by theA indicating arrow on the exterior.

The direction indicator whether constructed along the lines shown in Figs. l, 2 and 5 or along the lines shown in Figs. 7 and 8 etc., may in eachY instance be quickly and readily installed in practically any automobile whether it be of the closed type or otherwise. It may be mounted directly on the door as shown in Fig. l0, or it may be mounted part-ly on the instrument boardA and partly on the automobile top as shown in Fig. l. A proper visible signal can be given under all weather conditions vand greater safety in driving will thus be insure'd.

While certain features of the present invention have been more or less specifically illustrated and described7 I wish it understood that certain changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, I also wish it understood that the materials and finish employed may be such as the manufacturers experience and judgment may dictate or various conditions may demand.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-fv l. A device of the character described comprising a casing, said casing having a cylindrical shaped chamber formed therein and a 'duct disposed on a tangent thereto and communicating therewith, an arm pivotally mounted on the casing concentric with the" cylindrical shaped chamber and forming a cover therefor, a drum on the arm and extending into the cylindrical shaped chamber, a flexible member wrapper around the drum, one end of said flexible member being secured to the drum and the other or free end of the iiexible member extending through the tangentially disposed duct and a manually operated mechanism whereby a pull is transmitted to the free end of the flexible member to swing the drum and arm to assume different positions. i

2. A device of the character described comprisingl a casing, said casing having a cylindrical shaped chamber formed'therein and a duct disposed on a tangent thereto and communicating therewith, an arm pivotally mounted on the casing concentric with the cylindrical shaped chamber and forming a cover therefor, a drum on the arm 4and extending into the cylindrical shaped chamber', a iiexible member wrapped around the drum, one end of said flexible member being secured to the drum and the other or free end of the flexible memberV extending through the tangentially disposed duct, a manually f ROY H. Mouais. 

